Religious Studies at Georgia State University

08/31/2026

08/28/2026

Join the Religious Studies Department for a film screening on Wednesday, September 2 at 12:30 pm. Bring your lunch, we will provide the cookies and coffee.

Taking inspiration from the late cultural theorist Lauren Berlant's influential scholarly work Cruel Optimism, Vancouver-based director Shannon Walsh delivers a philosophical portrait of five women's stories of survival and transformation on a global scale. A compelling meditation on resilience in the face of disaster, ILLUSIONS OF CONTROL unfolds in landscapes that are irrevocably shaped by human attempts to dominate them. Five women confront crises that seem unbearable. Silvia searches for her missing daughter in the deserts of northern Mexico. Yang attempts to hold back the expanding desert in China. Kaori mobilizes mothers as citizen-scientists to monitor radiation in Fukushima, Japan. Stacey builds on Indigenous knowledge to confront toxic industrial legacies in Yellowknife. Lauren stands at the crossroads of a terminal cancer diagnosis in Chicago. What opportunities does ecological instability offer for imagining new ways of relating to each other, to the places we inhabit, and to our collective future? In this ambitious and reflective film, each story reveals surprising ways to live on, and re-imagine life in the ruins.

ALT Text: Graphic promoting a GSU Religious Studies film screening of Illusions of Control, a documentary by Shannon Walsh, on September 2, 2026, from 12:30–2:00 PM at 25 Park Place. Bring your own lunch; cookies and coffee provided.

08/27/2026

GSU Religious Studies Department is hosting a welcome back luncheon for students, faculty, and staff. Please join us on Tuesday, September 1 at 12:15 pm. We hope to see you then!

08/26/2026

MA religious studies student and scholar Nihya Nicole Willis passed her prospectus defense yesterday. Her thesis is titled 'Girl Go Read Ya Book: Exploring 20th Century Black Women's S*xual Assault Fiction and Bridges to Healing' through the lens of how Black Women's fiction novels such as Toni Morrison's Beloved and The Bluest Eye, Octavia Butler's Parable of the Talents, and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God are able to garner healing for Black women in the church.

Congratulations, Nihya!

08/25/2026

Congratulations to MA student, Courtney Clark, on passing your prospectus defense today! Her thesis "Don’t Take the Pill: An Analysis of Christian Nationalism’s Role in the Overturning of Roe v. Wade" will investigate the impact Christian Nationalism had on the overturning of 1973 United States Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade via the Dobbs Decision in 2022.

Well done, Courtney!

08/24/2026

The religious studies department faculty and staff want to welcome our returning and new MA grad students to campus for the new academic year. We are glad to have you here and look forward to an engaging semester ahead!

08/20/2026

Curious about the intersectionality of religion, s*x, and pop culture? Join Dr. Monique Moultrie this semester to explore religion and s*xuality in forms of American popular culture such as music, television, motion pictures, fashion, print/non-print media, and the internet. Students will also examine how popular culture has shaped religious debates about s*xuality and been shaped by religious values.

ALT Text: Colorful GSU Religious Studies flyer for RELS 4645: Religion, S*x, & Pop Culture with Dr. Monique Moultrie. Students examine the relationship between popular culture, religion, and debates about s*xuality.

08/19/2026

Fall semester kicks off next week at GSU! Today, we are highlighting Dr. Andrew Walker-Cornetta's course offering about pilgrimage. To learn more, see the flyer.

08/13/2026

Here are the top 5 reasons you should consider pursuing an MA in Religious Studies at GSU. Additionally, GSU is the only school to offer a pathway to chaplaincy. Learn more at gsu.edu.

08/11/2026

Fall classes begin in two weeks. This week, we highlight Riley Howell's reasons for choosing GSU.

The department looks forward to welcoming both new and returning MA students to campus!